U.S. patent number 7,836,542 [Application Number 11/576,586] was granted by the patent office on 2010-11-23 for wiper blade.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Robert Bosch GmbH, Volkswagen AG. Invention is credited to Jan Dietrich, Wilhelm Fangmeier.
United States Patent |
7,836,542 |
Dietrich , et al. |
November 23, 2010 |
Wiper blade
Abstract
A wiper blade (10) comprising a wiper strip (24) that is
provided with a folding wedge (38) and a wiper strip back (34) that
are connected to each other via a tilting web (36). It is proposed
that additional webs (42) be arranged lateral to the tilting web
(36).
Inventors: |
Dietrich; Jan (Buehl,
DE), Fangmeier; Wilhelm (Wolfsburg, DE) |
Assignee: |
Robert Bosch GmbH (Stuttgart,
DE)
Volkswagen AG (Wolfsburg, DE)
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Family
ID: |
35456996 |
Appl.
No.: |
11/576,586 |
Filed: |
September 28, 2005 |
PCT
Filed: |
September 28, 2005 |
PCT No.: |
PCT/EP2005/054873 |
371(c)(1),(2),(4) Date: |
April 03, 2007 |
PCT
Pub. No.: |
WO2006/040259 |
PCT
Pub. Date: |
April 20, 2006 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20080178409 A1 |
Jul 31, 2008 |
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Foreign Application Priority Data
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Oct 14, 2004 [DE] |
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10 2004 050 163 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
15/250.43;
15/250.48; 15/245 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60S
1/3848 (20130101); B60S 2001/3836 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B60S
1/38 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;15/250.41,250.48,250.361,250.451,250.452,245,250.43,250.44
;D12/219,220 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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1091094 |
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Aug 1994 |
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CN |
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1157499 |
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Nov 1963 |
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DE |
|
1505397 |
|
Oct 1969 |
|
DE |
|
9104461.8 |
|
Aug 1992 |
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DE |
|
102005009205 |
|
Oct 2005 |
|
DE |
|
0744326 |
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Nov 1996 |
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EP |
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1096321 |
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Jun 1955 |
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FR |
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965654 |
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Aug 1964 |
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GB |
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2093339 |
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Sep 1982 |
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GB |
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61085245 |
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Apr 1986 |
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JP |
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1112159 |
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Jul 1989 |
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JP |
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7186893 |
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Jul 1995 |
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JP |
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8310352 |
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Nov 1996 |
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JP |
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9193750 |
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Jul 1997 |
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JP |
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3629559 |
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Aug 1997 |
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JP |
|
9328058 |
|
Dec 1997 |
|
JP |
|
2000335376 |
|
Dec 2000 |
|
JP |
|
2004017910 |
|
Jan 2004 |
|
JP |
|
2004189185 |
|
Jul 2004 |
|
JP |
|
2000177540 |
|
Jun 2006 |
|
JP |
|
99/07586 |
|
Feb 1999 |
|
WO |
|
Other References
International Search Report from the European Patent Office. cited
by other.
|
Primary Examiner: Graham; Gary K
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Michael Best & Friedrich
LLP
Claims
The invention claimed is:
1. A wiper blade (10) with a band-like, elongated, spring elastic
single or multipart supporting element (12) that has a longitudinal
axis and that, in an unstressed state, is curved in the
longitudinal direction and has a connection device (18) arranged in
a central portion of a convex, top band side (16) of the supporting
element, the connection device butting against the top band side
and being intended for releasable connection to a driven wiper arm
(20), and an elongate, elastomeric wiper strip (24) arranged on a
concave, bottom band side (22) of the supporting element, the wiper
strip extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the supporting
element (12) and comprising a folding wedge (38) and a wiper-strip
back (34), which are connected to one another via a tilting web
(36), characterized in that additional webs (42) are arranged
laterally in respect of the tilting web (36), in a longitudinal
groove (40), and the additional webs, starting from the tilting web
(36), extend perpendicularly to the tilting web to an open side of
the longitudinal groove (40), have outer sides (50) reaching at
least as far as one of an outer edge (44) of the wiper-strip back
(34) or an outer edge (46) of the folding wedge (38), and connect
the wiper-strip back (34) to the folding wedge (38).
2. The wiper blade (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tilting
web has opposite sides, and characterized in that the additional
webs (42) are arranged on both sides of the tilting web (36).
3. The wiper blade (10) as claimed in claim 2, characterized in
that the additional webs (42) are located opposite one another on
the opposite sides.
4. The wiper blade (10) as claimed in claim 3, characterized in
that a spacing (a) between the additional webs (42) is between 10
mm and 50 mm.
5. The wiper blade (10) as claimed in claim 4, characterized in
that a thickness (d) of the additional webs (42) is smaller than a
thickness (D) of the tilting web (36).
6. The wiper blade (10) as claimed in claim 5, characterized in
that the additional webs (42) connect the outer edge (44) of the
wiper-strip back (34) and the outer edge (46) of the folding wedge
(38) in a straight line (45).
7. The wiper blade (10) as claimed in claim 5, characterized in
that outwardly oriented end sides of the additional webs (42) each
form a concave profile (48) by means of which the adjacent outer
edges (44, 46) of the wiper-strip back (34) and of the folding
wedge (38) are connected to one another.
8. The wiper blade (10) as claimed in claim 5, characterized in
that the outer sides (50) of the additional webs (42) run
diagonally inward in the direction of the tilting web (36) from the
outer edge (44) of the wiper-strip back (34) or from the outer edge
(46) of the folding wedge (38).
9. The wiper blade (10) as claimed in claim 8, characterized in
that slopes of the outer sides (50) of successive additional webs
(42) run inward in the direction of the tilting web (36) in an
alternating manner from the outer edge (44) of the wiper strip back
(34) and from the outer edge (46) of the folding wedge (38).
10. The wiper blade (10) as claimed in claim 2, characterized in
that the additional webs (42) on one side are offset in the
longitudinal direction in relation to the additional webs (42) on
the other side.
11. The wiper blade (10) as claimed in claim 10, characterized in
that a spacing (a) between the additional webs (42) is between 10
mm and 50 mm.
12. The wiper blade (10) as claimed in claim 11, characterized in
that a thickness (d) of the additional webs (42) is smaller than a
thickness (D) of the tilting web (36).
13. The wiper blade (10) as claimed in claim 12, characterized in
that the additional webs (42) connect the outer edge (44) of the
wiper-strip back (34) and the outer edge (46) of the folding wedge
(38) in a straight line (45).
14. The wiper blade (10) as claimed in claim 12, characterized in
that outwardly oriented end sides of the additional webs (42) each
form a concave profile (48) by means of which the adjacent outer
edges (44, 46) of the wiper-strip back (34) and of the folding
wedge (38) are connected to one another.
15. The wiper blade (10) as claimed in claim 12, characterized in
that the outer sides (50) of the additional webs (42) run
diagonally inward in the direction of the tilting web (36) from the
outer edge (44) of the wiper-strip back (34) or from the outer edge
(46) of the folding wedge (38).
16. The wiper blade (10) as claimed in claim 15, characterized in
that slopes of the outer sides (50) of successive additional webs
(42) run inward in the direction of the tilting web (36) in an
alternating manner from the outer edge (44) of the wiper strip back
(34) and from the outer edge (46) of the folding wedge (38).
17. The wiper blade (10) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in
that a spacing (a) between the additional webs (42) is between 10
mm and 50 mm.
18. The wiper blade (10) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in
that a thickness (d) of the additional webs (42) is smaller than a
thickness (D) of the tilting web (36).
19. The wiper blade (10) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in
that the additional webs (42) connect the outer edge (44) of the
wiper-strip back (34) and the outer edge (46) of the folding wedge
(38) in a straight line (45).
20. The wiper blade (10) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in
that outwardly oriented end sides of the additional webs (42) each
form a concave profile (48) by means of which the adjacent outer
edges (44, 46) of the wiper-strip back (34) and of the folding
wedge (38) are connected to one another.
21. The wiper blade (10) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in
that the outer sides (50) of the additional webs (42) run
diagonally inward in the direction of the tilting web (36) from the
outer edge (44) of the wiper-strip back (34) or from the outer edge
(46) of the folding wedge (38).
22. The wiper blade (10) as claimed in claim 21, characterized in
that slopes of the outer sides (50) of successive additional webs
(42) run inward in the direction of the tilting web (36) in an
alternating manner from the outer edge (44) of the wiper strip back
(34) and from the outer edge (46) of the folding wedge (38).
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a windshield wiper device. In the case of
such wiper blades with an elastic, band-like supporting element,
said supporting element is supposed to guarantee the most uniform
possible distribution of the wiper blade application force
originating from the wiper arm on the window over the entire wiper
field being covered by the wiper blade. Because of a corresponding
curvature of the unstressed supporting element--i.e., when the
wiper blade is adjacent to the window only at its two ends--the
ends of the wiper strip that are applied completely to the window
during wiper blade operation are stressed by the then tensioned
supporting element on the window, even if the curvature radii of
spherically curved vehicle windows change with every wiper blade
position. The curvature of the wiper blade must therefore be
somewhat greater than the greatest curvature measured in the wiper
field on the to-be-wiped window, because during wiper operation,
the wiper strip, or its wiper lip that is adjacent to the window,
must always press against the window with a specific force. The
supporting element thereby replaces the expensive supporting
bracket design with two spring rails arranged in the wiper strip as
is the practice with conventional wiper blades ([German Laid Open
Print] DE-OS 15 05 397), because, in addition to distributing the
application force, the supporting element also provides the
required transverse reinforcement of the rubber elastic wiper
strip. In the case of the known wiper blade, a bearing force
exerted by a wiper arm on the main bracket and directed to the
window is transmitted to two claw brackets and distributed by these
to the rubber elastic wiper strip via four claws.
In the case of wiper blades with spring elastic supporting
elements, the supporting element features a spring elasticity in
the direction of the vehicle windows and a certain flexural
strength in the direction of the wiper movement.
In the working position, the wiper blade is stressed in the
direction towards the vehicle window by the application force of
the wiper arm, wherein the wiper lip abuts the vehicle window.
A force generated by the rotating movement acts laterally on the
rubber profile during wiping. While the wiper strip back is moved
by the side force, the wiper lip remains in its position to begin
with. In the process, the thin web between the wiper strip back and
the folding wedge acts as a tilting joint because of its high
elastic ductility so that the wiper lip on the folding wedge
assumes an attack angle of 55 degrees to the glass surface. This
trailing position is the wiper lip's operating position. The
folding wedge is tilted over so far in this position until it abuts
the lower side of the wiper strip back with its outer upper
shoulder. Because of the oscillating wiping movement of the
windshield wipers, reversing points are produced at the end
positions of the movement. Here the folding wedge folds back in the
opposite direction and then assumes a trailing working position
again. An annoying folding-back noise is generated in particular in
wiper blades with a spring elastic supporting element because of
this folding-back process. In addition, the wiper rubber is very
heavily elastically deformed in the area of the tilting web. Over
the course of the deployment time this leads to a permanent
deformation of the wiper rubber profile, which at first only
negatively impacts the wiping effect of the windshield wiper, but
later can even prevent the folding back.
A wiper strip is known from DE 9104461.8 U1 in which a damping
strip is provided between the wiper strip back and the impacting
shoulder of the folding wedge. When the folding wedge of the wiper
strip folds back at the reversing point, the shoulder first impacts
the damping strip and presses it until it comes to bear against the
wiper strip back. As a result, the impact speed is slowed and the
noise of folding back is dampened. In wiper blades with spring
elastic supporting elements, this damping does not always suffice
however. The folding-back noise is particularly annoying in the
case of very long wiper blades.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The advantage of the wiper blade in accordance with the invention
is that the additional webs arranged lateral to the tilting web
continuously dampen the folding process by exerting on the folding
wedge with an increasing tilt an increased compressive force on the
one side or an increased tensile force on the other side. As a
result, this prevents, for one, as desired, the shoulder of the
folding wedge from impacting against the shoulder of the wiper
strip back at full speed, whereby the annoying folding-back noise
can effectively be prevented. Secondly, the constant force on the
folding wedge that is in the trailing position causes the folding
back as such to take place reliably at the turning point.
Particularly in the case of wiper blades that have already been
exposed to environmental conditions for a longer period of time,
there can sometimes be problems in this case.
Moreover, it has been shown that the partial interruption of the
grooves located left and right next to the tilting web by the webs
improves the winter suitability of the wiper blade, because ice and
snow can be worked out of the grooves more effectively by the
movement of the wiper blade.
Advantageous developments of the wiper blade in accordance with the
invention are possible. In particular, the manufacturability of the
wiper blade or the wiper blade rubber is improved if the webs are
arranged perpendicular to the tilting web.
The arrangement of the webs on both sides of the tilting web
guarantees that the planned trailing position is achieved in both
the upward as well as the downward movement and wiping quality is
equally good. If the webs are arranged offset from one another on
the two sides, the forces along the tilting web are distributed
uniformly. Furthermore, this counteracts any possible resonances
arising from unfavorable wind conditions. A distance of the webs
from one another of between 10 mm and 50 mm has turned out to be
optimal.
The webs can then be arranged in not too great intervals if the
thickness of the webs is less than the thickness of the tilting
web. This assures that the tilting of the folding wedge actually
occurs along the entire spring strip.
In the simplest form, which is also favorable for manufacturing,
the webs connect an outer edge of the wiper strip body with an
outer edge of the folding wedge in a straight line. The spring
characteristic of the webs can be influenced to the effect that
this straight line can be embodied, e.g., as a concave profile or
the webs can run diagonally into the grooves.
These shapes can also react to the wind noises that arise during
travel when the air stream flows along the grooves and is
influenced by the outer sides of the web. Moreover, the shape of
this line--straight, bent, upwards diagonally, downwards
diagonally--can influence the temporal progression of the effect of
the force of the webs on the folding wedge during fold back.
However, this can also be achieved in that the webs partially
disappear in the groove or are offset toward the back.
In order to prevent the tensile force from becoming too great on
the one side, the webs can be formed on only one side, i.e., each
web is only formed on the wiper strip back or on the folding wedge
and its other side is merely adjacent to the folding wedge or the
wiper strip back or even has a small gap. Naturally, it can also be
advantageous if successive webs are formed on the top or the bottom
alternatingly.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The drawings show:
FIG. 1 A perspective representation of a wiper blade manufactured
using the method in accordance with the invention with a wiper arm
indicated with a dot-dash line.
FIG. 2 A wiper strip that is enlarged as compared with FIG. 1 with
the indication of a supporting element.
FIG. 3 A section along Line III-III in FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 A variation according to FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 A view along Arrow V in FIG. 2.
FIG. 6 A variation of Detail VI in FIG. 5.
FIGS. 7 and 8 Variations of FIG. 6, and.
FIG. 9 Additional variations of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
A wiper blade 10 depicted in FIG. 1 features a band-like,
elongated, spring elastic single or multipart supporting element
12, which is curved in the longitudinal direction in an unstressed
state. Arranged on the upper or external convex band side 16 (FIGS.
1 and 2) of the supporting element facing away from the to-be-wiped
window 14 in the center section of said supporting element is,
e.g., a flat, connecting device 18 that is adjacent to said band
side. Said connecting device can be used to detachably connect the
wiper blade 10 to a driven wiper arm 20 that is guided on the body
of a vehicle. An elongated, rubber elastic wiper strip 24 is
arranged on the lower or internal concave band surface or band side
22 of the curved supporting element 12 that faces the window and
this wiper strip extends longitudinally axially parallel to the
supporting element 12. Counter connecting means (not shown in
greater detail) are provided on the free end of the wiper arm, and
they cooperate with the connecting device 18 of the wiper blade in
the sense of an articulation.
The wiper arm 20 and thus also the wiper blade 10 are stressed in
the direction of arrow 26 towards to the to-be-wiped window, whose
to-be-wiped surface is indicated by a dot-dash line 14 in FIG. 1.
Since the dot-dash line is supposed to depict the greatest
curvature, it is clear to see that the curvature of the as yet
unstressed wiper blade 10 with its ends 10' adjacent to the window
14 is greater than the maximum curvature of the window.
Therefore--in an unstressed state--it has a concave progression
vis-a-vis the window. Under the application force (arrow 26), the
wiper blade 10 with the wiper lip 28 that performs the wiping work
is applied over its entire length to the window surface 14 and goes
into a working position that approximates the extended position. In
the process, tension builds up in the band-like, elastic supporting
element 12, which provides for the proper application of the wiper
strip 24 or its wiper lip 28 over its entire length on the vehicle
window 14. Because the window, which is spherically curved as a
rule, does not represent a section of a spherical surface, the
wiper blade 10 must be able to constantly adapt vis-a-vis the wiper
arm 20 during its wiping operation (double arrow 30) to the
respective position and the progression of the window surface 14.
As a result, an articulated connection is required between the
wiper arm 20 and wiper blade 10 that makes an oscillating movement
(double arrow 32) around the articulated axis of the connecting
device possible.
The wiper strip 24 depicted in FIG. 2 features a wiper strip back
34, which is connected via a tilting web 36 to a folding wedge 38
on whose underside the wiper lip 28 is arranged. Extending on the
side of the tilting web 36 are two longitudinal grooves 40 whose
upper side is formed by the wiper strip back 34 and whose lower
side is formed by the folding wedge 38. Webs 42 that are arranged
lateral to the tilting web 36 are provided within the longitudinal
grooves 40 and they are distributed over the length of the
longitudinal groves 40.
Each web 42 extends from the tilting web 36 starting laterally in
the direction towards the open side of the longitudinal groove 40
and connects the wiper strip back 34 to the folding wedge 38. The
webs 42 are a part of the wiper strip 24 and are therefore
integrally connected to the wiper strip back 34, the tilting web
36, as well as the folding wedge 38. It would also be conceivable
for the webs 42 to be embodied separately and be introduced into
the longitudinal grooves 40.
FIG. 3 shows that each web 42 extends starting from the tilting web
36 perpendicular to the tilting web 36. Furthermore, it is evident
that the webs 42 are arranged on both sides of the tilting web 36.
If the webs 42 in FIG. 3 are arranged in alignment on both sides of
the tilting web 36, then FIG. 4 shows the webs 42 arranged in an
offset manner on the two sides.
The distance a of the webs 42 from one another should be between 10
mm and 50 mm and is preferably at 20 mm. In the case of webs 42
that are arranged in an offset manner as shown in FIG. 4, a
distance of 10 mm respectively is produced if one considers the
webs 42 on both sides of the tilting web 36. The webs 42 are
distributed uniformly over the length of the wiper strip 24.
However, it is also conceivable, e.g., for reasons related to
resonance, to vary the distance a over the length of the wiper
strip 24.
The tilting web 36 represents the actual effective connection
between the wiper strip back 34 and the folding wedge 38 and must
be dimensioned accordingly. The webs 42 are kept smaller in terms
of their thickness d than the thickness D of the tilting web 36. In
a preferred embodiment, the thickness d of the webs 42 is one half
of the thickness D of the tilting web 36.
As mentioned, the webs 42 represent a connection between the wiper
strip back 34 and the folding wedge 38 and extend starting from the
tilting web 36 to respectively an open side of the longitudinal
grooves 40. In this case, it is clear that for manufacturing
reasons it is meaningful to connect the webs 42 to the tilting web
36. However, it would also be conceivable to leave a gap between
the webs 42 and the tilting web 36. It is a similar situation with
the open sides of the longitudinal grooves 40. The webs 42 connect
an outer edge 44 of the wiper strip back 34 to an outer edge 46 of
the folding wedge 38 in a straight line 45, as depicted in FIG.
5.
FIGS. 6 and 8 represent variations of this. In FIG. 6, the
connection of the two outer edges 44 and 46 is embodied in the form
a concave profile 48, which has the advantage of a slight notch
effect. The example shown in FIG. 7 is one of three variations. The
outer sides 50 of the webs 42 run diagonally and are connected to
only one of the outer edges 44 or 46. In this case, it is possible
to embody all webs 42 running diagonally into the longitudinal
groove 40 starting from the outer edge 44 or from the outer edge 46
or else alternatingly from the outer edge 44 and the outer edge 46.
In a further variation according to FIG. 8, the outer sides 52 of
each web 42 are offset into the respective longitudinal groove 40.
Consequently, they do not make contact with any of the outer edges
44 or 46.
The goal of reducing the folding-back noise of the wiper blade 10
or even eliminating it is achieved with each of the variations
according to FIGS. 5 through 8. Because of the corresponding
embodiment of the outer sides of the webs 42, it is possible to
react to different requirements. What is essential is that the
spring characteristic being assigned to the webs 42 can be heavily
influenced by the shape of the outer sides. It can be embodied to
be, e.g., steeper or flatter or to have a degressive or progressive
course. Combining different shapes of the outer sides of the webs
42 with one another is also conceivable. This can occur with
successive webs 42 or also within a web 42 on its outer edge.
FIG. 9 shows that the webs 42 are each formed on only one side 54
or 56 and only abut or even have no distance on the opposing sides
56 or 54, however. The embodiment can also be accomplished such
that successive webs 42 are formed alternating on its upper side 54
and on its lower side 56 and are each free on the opposing side. In
this way, it is possible to exert a compressive force on the
folding wedge 38 via the webs 42 starting from the wiper strip back
34, but a tensile force does not occur.
It is clear that, in the case of wipers blades 10 with several
tilting webs 36 arranged above one another, corresponding webs 42
can be assigned to each of the tilting webs 36. Even in the case of
these higher wiper blades, it is thereby possible to have a
positive effect on the folding-back noise.
* * * * *